Letters

Beyond the Menu

As much as I enjoy reading the reviews about restaurants along the Front Range, I wish 5280 would delve deeper into restaurants’ practices.

With the significant population boom in our area, sustainable practices are more important than ever, and I would love to read reviews about restaurants that are engaging in sustainable practices so I can make a more informed decision about where my money is going. I’d like to hear about where restaurants get their food, if their to-go containers are biodegradable, and where their used cooking oil goes. In a time of economic difficulty, it is becoming more important to make careful choices about where we, as Colorado residents, spend our money.Kaitlyn Minich Boulder

The Good stuff

Your piece on the Fourmile fire is simply excellent [“The Fire Next Door,” September]. I live over the hill in the Sugarloaf neighborhood, so I was already familiar with many aspects of the fire. Familiar or not, I was riveted by Robert Sanchez’s story. My wife brought home the magazine because of his piece. As a former writer who specialized in creative nonfiction and the narrative voice, I know the good stuff when I see it. Thanks for a great piece.CB Bassity Boulder County

Sudsy Suggestions

Thanks for the article on Colorado brews [“A Beer for all Seasons,” August]. Many of my favorites are on your list, but I read one statement in the “summer” list that can’t go unanswered.

You write, “We hate to admit it, but Colorado doesn’t have a great reputation for making stellar Pilsners.” Say what? Certainly all Pils drinkers would agree that Joe, brewed by Avery, is a very good Pilsner, but it appears that you have ignored other very good or great Pilsners such as Blue Paddle from New Belgium, Polestar from Left Hand, and Mama’s Little Yella Pils from Oskar Blues. And don’t forget we have the best Pilsner from a large U.S. brewer—Coors Banquet.

These beers are a start, but probably the best Colorado Pilsners are brewed by SandLot Brewery at Coors Field: Barmen, a Czech Pilsner, and Pinch Hit Pils, a German Pilsner. I suggest setting them all up and having a Pilsner taste-off.Jim Leonard Evergreen

Make New Friends

I don’t normally write to authors about their pieces, but Laura Pritchett’s column on friendships ending really hit home for me [“Moving On,” August]. I suppose I had fallen into believing that a strong friendship should last forever. It’s foolish when I think about it. People change. Reading your article made me feel much less guilty about a friendship I have had since junior high. I am now 63; it just isn’t working anymore and hasn’t for some time. I have felt like somehow I should be able to do something to make things better. But that would be impossible given the people we are now. We are so different in so many ways. We shared many good times and some sad ones, but now I feel comfortable in letting the relationship go.S.B. Denver

Mixed Messages

As a metro Denver resident of five years, I find your magazine not only entertaining and informative, but also a gateway to greater Colorado. I would be remiss, however, if I didn’t express my concern with the “Portrait of a Lady” feature in the September issue. I am a firm believer in celebrating all body types, but to describe the model in this piece as having “sophisticated womanly curves” is not only inaccurate and disrespectful, but it also sends a dangerous message to the women of our community. It’s bad enough the print industry rarely features models over a size zero, but to idealize them as “curvy” only reinforces the negative body image many young girls and women have developed in a society obsessed with being thin. I cannot adequately express the disappointment I felt when I realized that one of my favorite magazines is part of the problem.Jamey Rabold Arvada

Slideshows

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Johnson & Wales students, all baking and pastry arts majors, competed in the Gingerbread Takeover from December 6–8. Final judging took place on Thursday in the lobby of the Sheraton Downtown Denver hotel. All photos by Sarah Boyum

Photo of the Week

The American Society of Interior Designers' (ASID) Colorado Chapter decorated the Governor's Residence for the holidays. Holiday tours, free and open to the public, will take place December 8-11 and December 15-18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All photos by Sarah Boyum